Stained Glass WIndows

 "The Fall of Man"

 In this special setting , the thistle symbolizes the fall of man.

"The thistle is the symbol of earthly sorrow and sin because the curse pronounced against Adam by God, in Genesis 3:17-18, '...cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.' The thistle is a thorny plant, and because of its connection with thorns in the passage quoted above, it has also become one of the symbols of the Passion of Christ, and particularly of His crowning with Thorns."

"Moses and the Law"

In this special setting, the bulrushes symbolize the arrival of Moses who ushered in the Law of the Old Testament.

"The bulrush is a lowly, thickly clustered, common plant, growing near the water. Because of these characteristics, it has become a symbol for the multitude of the faithful who lead a humble life and abide by the teaching of the Church, the source of living waters. This explanation found support in Job 8:11, 'Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water?' Also, since the infant Moses ( and Moses is taken as the forerunner of Christ) was found in the bulrushes, they have come to be connected with the place whence salvation came." 

"Prophecy of the Virgin Birth"

In this special setting, the iris symbolizes the prophecy of the Virgin Birth of the coming Savior and King.

"The iris, a rival of the lily as the flower of the Virgin, first appears as a religious symbol in the works of the early Flemish masters, where it both accompanies and replaces the lily in pictures of the Virgin. This symbolism stems from the fact that the name 'iris' means 'sword lily' which was taken as allusion to the sorrow of the Virgin at the Passion of Christ." 

"The Nativity"  

In this special setting, the primrose symbolizes the Nativity

The primrose "grows wild today as it has for thousands of years in the Holy Land" and because of this is thought to the the 'lily of the fields' mentioned in Matthew 6:28. Primroses are said to have sprung from the ground at the Crucifixion. The name primrose is derived from Medieval Latin prima rosa, which means first (or earliest) rose, an allusion to Jesus, the firstborn Son of God. 

"The Ministry of Christ"

 In this special setting, the jack-in-the-pulpit symbolizes the ministry of Christ while he was here on earth .

"Blood & Suffering of Christ "

In this special setting, the poppy symbolizes the blood and suffering of Christ on the cross.

The poppy is a symbol of sleep, indifference and death. Its milky white juice is the original source of opium. The flower is blood red to reddish orange in color. It is depicted in allusion to the Passion of Christ because of its color and its meaning of sleep and death.